BY MATTHEW HURLEY
CLONAKILTY Soccer Club have only played twice in the PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division this season but have won both their games.
The reigning champions beat Bunratty United by 2-0 last weekend as United suffered their fourth loss in five games. Alan Ward gave Clon the perfect start after five minutes and Odhran Bancroft made sure of the win with just over 20 minutes left.
Clon, Dunmanway Town and Drinagh Rangers are the only unbeaten sides at this early juncture with the latter’s game against Beara United awarded to them in the last round.
It is Castletown Celtic that stay on top though after a 3-1 win away to Togher Celtic. Niall O’Halloran and Finbarr Dromey gave Castletown a 2-0 lead at the interval. Togher’s Donnacha Collins brought life into the contest by halving the deficit with 30 minutes to play but a Barry O’Mahony strike deep into stoppage time confirmed Castletown’s fourth win of the season. They remain the top scorers so far with 19 goals in five games.
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Baltimore are the leaders at the top of the OBrienWaterServices.com Championship and strengthened their credentials with a 7-2 battering of Aultagh Celtic.
Oisin O’Connell did give Aultagh the lead on eight minutes but Barry Collins struck a double to give Baltimore the lead. A Daniel O’Connell strike for Celtic meant it was 2-2 at the short whistle before Baltimore cranked up the gears. Dan MacEoin gave them the lead for the first time before Collins got his third and fourth goals and after just six second-half minutes, it was 5-2. Conor Harrington and MacEoin rounded off the perfect display as they now have 25 goals in just five games.
A good weekend turned into a great weekend for Baltimore as their early challengers Skibbereen AFC and Skibbereen Celtic both lost. AFC suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Mizen Hob, their first loss of the campaign. Celtic meanwhile fell to a 2-0 loss away to Lyre Rovers as late strikes from Conor O’Neill and Eoin Murphy got their first victory of the season.
Spartak Mossgrove beat Castlelack 3-0 as Joe Kenneally, Aaron O’Driscoll and Rick Bradfield all scored.
Early strugglers Bay Rovers and Ardfield played out a 1-1 draw as Ardfield took the lead early on courtesy of Conor Twomey. Bay Rovers responded on 82 minutes though as Muiris Buttimer striked the ball home.
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Dunmanway Town enjoyed a convincing 3-0 win in their Irish Junior Cup Round 2 clash with Grangevale. Oran McCarthy bagged a brace while Will Hennigan also joined in on the act.
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In the Fusion Home Decor Women’s 7s Premier Division, there were 5-0 wins for Lyre Rovers and Dunmanway Town over Castlelack and Clonakilty United respectively.
Maria Cregan hit a hat-trick for Dunmanway while Clare McSweeney and Ruth Collins also hit the net. Beara United won 2-1 to Mizen after Shannon Hanley Murphy and Catriona Murphy goaled. Drinagh Rovers firsts beat their second 2-0 as Rachel O’Donovan and Julieanne Hayes struck in the first half.
